Explore tropical ecosystems and the complexities of conservation efforts in Ecuador, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

This program looks at the entomology, geology, ornithology, mammalogy, flora, and natural history of Ecuador’s unique ecological zones. Students visit the high sierras of the Andes, the epiphyte-rich cloud forest, the rugged snow-lined páramo, the vast rainforest of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and spend a week on the Galápagos Islands. Students apply biological and ecological techniques such as quadrants and transects, engage in biological monitoring for plants and animals, and learn to conduct population studies, water and soils analysis, and other techniques.

Major topics of study include:

• Ecology of Ecuador’s four distinct ecological regions: the Andes, the coast, the Amazon, and the Galápagos Islands
• Major plant and animal adaptations
• Local natural resource use
• Ecuador’s current environmental challenges
• Social and economic concerns related to conservation challenges